Horse-collar.



0. w. WALTERS.

HORSE COLLAR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1908.

Patented 1m 8,1908.

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ORA W. WALTERS, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

HORSE-COLLAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed July 6, 1908. Serial No. 442,137.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORA W. WALTERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Horse-Collar, of which the following is aspecification.

Thls invention relates to horse collars and its object is to provide adevice of this character having an inflatable core whereby the collar isrendered lighter than the ordinary solid collars and is cheaper tomanufacture although possessing all the advantages of the ordinarycollars.

Another object is to provide an air container or core protected in anovel manner from the action of sweat so that the same is thus preventedfrom rotting and is rendered more lasting than air containers such asheretofore employed.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of theinvention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section through a collarembodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a section on line AB,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 0-D, Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates thecasing of the collar, the same being formed of leather in the usualmanner, the ends of the casing being designed to be buckled or otherwisefastened together at the to of the collar as shown at 2 so that the colar can be conveniently opened for the purpose of placing it upon ananimal. Extending within the casing from one end to the other thereof isan inflatable core 3 preferably of elastic rubber said core consistingof a tube the ends of which are closed and seated within the ends of thecasing 1. A valve tube 4 is disposed within the casing 1 and is securedto and opens into one end of the core 3 so as to facilitate theinflation thereof. Each side ortion of the easing 1 has a lining 5 of fet or other suitable material which completely fills the space betweenthe core 3 and the leather casing 1, said lining constituting means forpreventing sweat and other moisture absorbed by the leather casing 1from coming into contact with the rubber core and rotting it. The

linings 5 are designed, when the core is inflated, to tightly pack thecasing 1. These linings do not surround the lower or middle portion ofthe core 3. Such an arrangement would obviously interfere with theflexibility of the collar at this point and render the opening of thecollar difficult. The linings have therefore been brought to points atopposite sides of the center of the collar and extending into these endsof the linings are the terminals of a flexible protecting tube 6 ofcanvas or other durable material through which the core 3 extends.

When it is desired to use the collar herein described the core 3 isinflated by attaching a pump to the tube 4. The collar upon beingexpanded in this manner will rest easily upon the animal and anymoisture absorbed by the casing 1 will be prevented from reaching thecore 3 by lining 5. Inasmuch as the tube 6 does not contact with, but isspaced from the casing 1, the middle portion of the tube 3 will also beprotected from the action of moisture. Should the tube 3 become deflatedfrom any cause and remain in this con-' dition the collar can still beused because of the stiffness imparted thereto by the linings 5.

It will be seen that a collar such as herein described is cheap tomanufacture, durable and efficient, and is particularly desirablebecause of its lightness.

What is claimed is:

1. A collar comprising a casing having detachably connected ends and aflexible intermediate portion, an inflatable core extending throughoutthe length of the casing, a flexible protecting tube upon theintermediate portion of the core and within the flexible portion of thecasing, and means for holding said tube out of contact with the casing.

2. A. collar comprising a casing having a flexible intermediate portionand detachably connected ends, an inflatable core within the casing andextending from end to end thereof and combined linings and fillingswithin the casing and around the core at opposite sides of the flexibleportions, said linings constituting means for holding the intermediateportion of the core out of contact with the flexible portion of thecasing.

3. A collar comprising a casing having detachably connected ends and aflexible middle portion, an inflatable core within the casin andextending from end to end thereof, a va ved air inlet tube opening intothe core, combined linings and fillings Within the side portions of thecasing and around the core, my own, I have hereto affixed my signaturesaid linings and fillings holding the middle in the presence of twowitnesses.

portion of the core out of contact with the middle flexible portion ofthe casing, there ORA WALTERS 5 being an air space between the middlepor- Witnesses:

tions of the core and casing. J. O. WILLSON,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as C. S. WATKINS.

